Shanghai Daily news

PICC Property and Casualty Co Ltd will provide insurance protection and risk assessment for World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

The company signed the partnership contract with Expo organizers yesterday.

The 58-year-old PICC P&C, the largest non-life insurer in China, is the ninth global partner of World Expo.

The company has been working on the insurance protection plan for the six-month event since Shanghai won the bid to host Expo 2010, organizers said.

Shanghai Vice Mayor Yang Xiong said Shanghai Expo was massive and would have a great impact in Shanghai and the nation's development.

Risk prevention and security assurance was an important foundation in hosting a "successful, splendid and unforgettable" Expo, he said.

The company, also a global partner of Beijing Olympics 2008, will provide high-quality services and strong support for the Expo by using its rich experiences in big events, Wu Yan, chairman of PICC P&C, said at the signing ceremony.

China Insurance Regulatory Commission Vice Chairman Zhou Yanli said PICC P&C, with a good social image and business credibility, was capable of providing complete insurance services to World Expo.

World Expo 2010's global partners can use the brand to promote its business globally. Global partners also get priority status to open a corporate pavilion at the site.

China Eastern Airlines, China Mobile, China Telecom, the Bank of Communications, a joint of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation Group and General Motors, Siemens, Coca-Cola and State Grid have signed global partner deals with World Expo 2010.

The marketing plan of Shanghai Expo includes partnership, senior sponsorship and project sponsors.

Also yesterday, Shanghai Expo organizers announced the top 10 Expo songs in 2007, with many local pop stars gathering to sing for one of the world's biggest cultural gathering event.

The top 10 songs, most of which were written and sung by local musicians, are selected from more than 600 entries since the worldwide solicitation were launched in April.

Many celebrities, including Chow Wah Kin and Jay Chou, were invited to Shanghai to shoot advertisements calling for wider submissions of the Expo songs, organizers said.

Taiwan love-song singer You Hongming, Shanghai musician Li Quan and Chinese actress Zhao Wei were invited to sing.